Car coupler



Much is, 1941.

E. A. LARSSON CAR COUPLER Griginal Filed April 7'. 19559 2 Sheets-Sheet1 121.11m; l l? E. A. LARSSON CAR COUPLER March 18, 1941.

Original Filed April '7, 19259 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 noenior ERNST LABSSON(lttorneg Patented Mar. 18, 1941 GAR COUPLEB Ernst A. Larsson,

Ohio Brass Company, porationA of New Jersey Original application266,591. Divided and 1940, Serial No. 343,592

Mansfield, Ohio, assigner toV The Mansiield, Ohio, a cor- April 7, 1939,Serial No.

this application July 2,

8 Claims. (Cl. Z13-62) My invention relates to car couplers andparticularly couplers of the automatic type suitable for use inindustrial and mine operations.

This application is a division of my copendingcase Serial Number266,591, filed April '7, 1939.

One object of my inventio-n is to provide a coupler having means topermit one or more cars of a train consisting of a plurality of coupledcars, to be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the coupler in orderto dump the same without disturbing the other cars in the train.

My invention resides in the new and novel construction, combination andrelation of the parts herein described and shown in the drawingsaccompanying this specification.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 represents two car bodies A and B with twocouplers, one oneach car, in position to be coupled,l the right-handcoupler M being of the 20. male type and the left-hand coupler F beingof the female type.

Fig. 2 is a view in partial section taken on the line 2-2 of the couplerMin Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in partial section taken on the l251 line 3-3 of Fg- 2-Fig. 4 is a View in partial section taken o-n the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view in partial section takenr on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 or5-5 of Fig. 2. 301 Fig. 6 is a View in partial section taken onthe lineB-Ii oi the coupler F of Fig. l.

Fig. 7 is a View in partial section taken on the line 'I-1 of Fig. 6.Fig. 8 is a top plan View in partial section of 35. the draw bar used incombination with the male head.

Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation of the draw bar shown in Fig. 8.

The preferred embodiment of my invention 40 comprises couplers of thetype shown in Tomlinson Patent 1,609,444 which is of the automaticcoupling type employing a male and female head. This type of couplerpermits making the complete coupler quite short which is very desirable45 in industrial and mine haulage and also permits of coupling when thecars are on'curves of short radii, that is, wheny the longitudinal axisof .the cars to be coupled are disposed at a very considerable anglefrom alignment.

The male coupler M comprises in general a head I, a draw bar 2, and aresilient anchorage 3 and in Fig. l these parts are shown assembled andmounted on a car body A.

The female coupler Fcomprisesa head 4 which 55 has integrally combined.vwith it a draw bar V5,

and the resilient anchorage body B, as shown in Fig. 1.

Thev male head comprises Sattached to a car a flange I having a buiiingface 8 and a hollow projecting tongue 9. The tongue 9 is provided witha.; transverse slot. Io 5 which has a bearing face II for the lock orlatch I2' (see Fig. 7). The head is also provided with a collar portion,I3.

Slidably mounted in the rear end of head I in telescopic relationthereto is the draw barf2 provided with a collar I4 and al clevis endwhich is formed of spaced portions I5 forming the slot I6 therebetween.The draw bar isprovided with oppositely disposed slots I'I which cutthrough the liange I4 to receive a pin I8 for the purpose de- 1 scribed.Thedraw bar is provided on the sides with buihng faces I9 which areomitted above and below, that is,

these faces do,r not extend entirely around the tubular cylindricalposition as shown in Figs. 8 and 9- and therefore a space i 6 exists onthe upper and lower sides of the coupler.

The drawv bar is also provided with bufng faces 2 I which are arrangedto engage with the resilient anchorage 3 should the coupler swing asidefrom j25 its normal position in excess of a predetermined amount.

The resilient anchorage 3 is shown as comprising a back plate 22 whichforms the back and vertical side walls of a receptacle. The anchorage isalso provided with a front plate 23 which is shown as fitting betweenthe side walls of the plate 22 and also forming the top and bottom sidesof the anchorage receptacle. opening 24 through the front The plate 23has an face and. through which projects the spaced members 25A of theclevis member 26.

The spaced members 25 form a clevis Within which is mounted the clevisheld in pivoted relation to end of the draw bar the clevis member by pin21 which extends through registering openings in the portions I5 and 25.Between the plates 22 and 2'3 and the clevis member 25 are positionedheavy resilient `cushion members 28 and 23 springs 30 preferably locatedin sockets clevis member 26.

normally under compression and 3l forming a part of CTI The spring 30may be replaced with resilient pads of rubber or other equivalentmaterial the same as I employ in the pads 28 and 29 and which might betermed car spring rubberf If desired the resilient pads 2B and 29 may bepositioned in the upper end of the receptacle between the olevis member26 and the vertical walls of the receptacle in which case the springs 30will be mounted at the lower end of the receptacle between the clevismember 26 and the back wall 22 instead of the front Wall 23.

The centering means comprises a Spring 32 mounted in the wall of thecylinder 20 and butting against the pin IS. The other end of the spring32 is provided with a pivot plate 33 which has a projection extendingwi-thin the spring 32 as a guide.

Positioned in the opening I6 between the members I5 of the draw bar 2 isa `centering link 34, as shown in Figs. 2 `and 3.

The link 34 is provided with a pivot 35 to engage the plate 33 and alsohas fulcrums 36, both of which are seated against the clevis plate 28when the coupler is in its normal position, that is, when the head iscentered, as yshown in Fig. 2. The head I and draw bar 2 may swing inunison about the axis of the pin 21 while the centering link 34 swingsabout the point of one of the fulcrums 36 depending upon the directionof swing.

'I'he coupler as a whole will pivot about the axis of the pin 21, and inthe absence of the link 34 the right-hand end of the spring 32 and pivotplate 33 would move in a uniform circular path the radius of which wouldbe R (Fig. 2). However with the inclusion of the link 34 at the tip endof the pivot 35 will follow a uniform circular path the radius of whichis R (Fig. 6). The resultant of these two functions will cause thespring 32 to be compressed and the pivot plate 33 will be moved to theleft (Fig. 2), if the coupler moves to either the right or to the left,about the axis of the pin 21. The amount of increased compression overnormal upon the spring 32 will depend upon the degree of movement orswing of the coupler from its normal position.

'I'he normal tension upon the spring 32, that is, when the coupler is inthe longitudinal alignment position with respect to the axis and the carbody, will be sufdcient to hold the coupler in a central or normalposition and any pivotal movement of the coupler from this normalposition will increase the tension and cause the return of the couplerto its normal position, when uncoupled.

The parts forming the resilient anchorage are held in assembledrelationship by the bolts 31, but by making the bolts somewhat longerthey may be used also to secure the coupler equipment to the car bodiesA and B. In Figs. 2 and 6 the bolts are shown as merely holding theparts in assembled relation.

In order to permit the cars to be rotated about their longitudinal axisrelative to each other, as in the case of dumping a loaded car at atip-ple, it is necessary that one of the pair of couplers rotatesrelative to the other about its longitudinal axis and to secure thisrelative rotation I employ a special construction with respect to themale coupler although the same construction can be applied to the femalecoupler.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, I provide the slot I 1 in which ispositioned the pin I8. Surrounding the cylindrical portion 20 of thedraw bar is a split collar composed of like parts 38 which are mountedwithin the sleeve I3 which is an integral part of the head I which isheld in place by means o-f the pins 39. The collar 38 substantially llsthe space between the end face I9 of the draw bar and the iiange I4 andis rotatable with the head since the pins 39 lock the collar 38 and partI3 against rotation.

'I'he face oi' each member 38 adjacent the pin I8 is provided with anotch 43, preferably V shaped, in which the pin rests when the couplerheads are in their normal position, that is, in an aligned position tobe coupled. 'Io maintain the pin I8 in the notch 40, a spring 4I isemployed which butts against the pin I8 and which tends to move the headI and the sleeve 38 outwardly, but moves the pin inwardly because thecollar 38 butts against the flange I4 of the draw bar which preventsrelative movement in one direction and the buing faces I 9 will engagethe adjacent face of the collar 38 and prevent relative movements in theother direction. The spring 32 also buttsl against the pin I8 as amatter of convenience largely and therefore the spring 4I is made ofsucient strength to overcome any chance of the spring 32 moving the pinI3 out of the grooves 40 in the sleeve 33.

It will be evident with the resilient anchorage 3 fixed to a car and thedraw bar 2 non-rotatable relative thereto, that if sufficient effort isexerted on the head I to rotate the same that when the tension of thespring 4I is overcome the pin I8 will ride out of the groove 40permitting the head I to rotate relative to the draw bar 2. Under normalconditions and when the head I is not coupled to its companion coupler,the pin I8 will be seated in the V groove 40 and held there by thespring 4I.

In Figs. 6 and 7 are shown`sections of the female head I. 'I'heconstruction of the resilient anchorage 3 is the same as that of theanchorage 3 as just described in connection with the male coupler and alrepeated description is believed unnecessary as the parts are numberedthe same for both anchorages. In the descriptions and drawings of thefemale head, I have used the same numbers to designate the like parts inthe male coupler whenever the construction and function are `the same.

The female head 42 is provided with an opening 43 arranged to receivethe projection 9 on the male head and to hold the same substantiallywithout transverse or rotational movement relative to each other. Pvotlymounted on the head 42 is the lock I2 held in the locked position by thespring 44 and opened manually by means of the handle 45. It will beapparent that when the two heads are brought together, the lock I2 willbe automatically moved out of its locking position and will drop backinto the slot I0 on the male heads when the heads are in coupledrelation thus holding the heads against uncoupling.

Projecting rearwardly from head 42 is the` draw bar 5 which is providedwith the buiing faces 2| as in the case of the male head just describedand which will engage with the front plate 23 of the anchorage if thehead is swung too far from normal. The head 42 is provided with a flange45 which butts against the face 8 of the male head when the two headsVare brought together. 'Ihe coupler is provided with a centering deviceof the same principle and largely of the same construction as previouslydescribed and comprises a spring 32 which butts against the throughrivets 4t andvwhichy at` theJ other end is provided with a pivot plate33-- Thespring. 32 andY plate- 33 arel mounted within the draw bar whichhas a hollow circular portion 41 and rearwardly projecting spacedmembers 48 which fit in thev space between the projecting members 25 andare held in pivotal relation theretol by means of the pin 2T. f

The draw bar is also provided with the centeringlink 34 the relation ofwhich to the draw bar and its operation is the same as previouslyv eX-plained.

When two heads are brought together the impact takes place between theface 8- and 45 and this impact is transmitted to the resilient cushions28. A f

After couplers are coupledL and in haulage 'operation all further surgesare taken up by the front and back resilient cushions.

When it is desired to rotate or dump onecar relative to its adjacentcoupled car, it is only necessary to place such car upon the tipple androtate the tipple and the force exerted will overcome the tension of thespring 4| of the male coupler and permit the sides of the grooves 40 -toforce the pin I8 out of the grooves and permit the two heads to rotatewith the car and rel-ative to the stationary car.

The front plate 23 is so constructed and related to the plate 22 that itis adjustable and movable toward or away from the plate 22 whereby theresiliency of the members 28, 29 and 3i) may be controlled to aconsiderable extent by the bolts 3l.

Modifications will suggest themselves vto those skilled in the art, andtherefore, I wish to be limited only by my claims.

I claim:

l. In a car coupling mechanism, in combination, a coupler comprising ahead portion for coupling to a companion head and having a rearwardlyprojecting hollow portion, a draw bar having one end mounted in thehollow portion to rotate relative thereto and the other end providedwith means to attach it to an anchorage, means to limit the forwardmovement of the head relative to the draw bar, a transversely disposedlock member associated with the said draw bar and movable longitudinallyof the head and the drawbar and norm-ally seated in a notch in thesecond said means, a spring under compression interposed between thehead and the draw bar to hold the head ladvanced relative to the drawbar and .to yieldingly hold the lock member in the notch to preventrotation of the head relative to the draw bar under normal operation butto permit rotation of the head when a rotative force is applied to thehead suicient to overcome the force of the spring as in dumping one carrelative to the coupled car at a tipple.

2. In a car coupling mechanism, in combination, a coupler head to coupleto a companion head, a `draw bar having one end associated with the headand means at the other end to connect the draw bar to an anchorage on acar, means preventing the longitudinal separation of the head and drawbar, a spring interposed between the head portion and draw bar portionof the coupling mechanism to yieldingly hold the head in advancedrelation to the draw bar, locking means on one of the portions to engagewith c0- operating means on the other portion when the head and draw barare in normal operative relation, the said spring arranged to act uponthe locking means to yieldingly hold the locking means engagement withthe said cooperating means `whereby the head and draw bar are held innormal relationwhen uncoupled and may be rotated relativeto each otherwhen a rotative force is applied to one of the portions suflicient Vtoovercome the spring force and disengage the cooperating means.

3. In a Vcar coupler, the combination of ahead bar portion having meansto connect to an anchorage, the saidl portions being rotatable relativemeans'resisting the rotation of the portions rela- .a

tive to each other until suiiicient rotative force is applied .to theportions to. overcome the resistance of the yieldably held means as whenone car is rotated relative to the connected car.

4.' In a car coupler, the combination of a head L portion to couple to acompanion head, a draw bar portion having means to connect it to ananchorage, the said portions being rotatable relative to each otherabout their longitudinal axis,

cooperating means associated with each said poro tions preventingrelative movement of the portions in one longitudinal direction, springheld means associated with the said portions and interlocking with meanson the said portions to yieldingly hold lthe portions in normaloperative position whereby the head portion may couple to the companionhead and to yieldingly resist the portions rotating relative to eachother until sufiicient rotative force is applied to the portions toovercome the resistance of the springheld interlocking means as when onecar is rota-ted relative to -the connected car, an anchorage to connectthe portions to a car and means interposed between the draw bar andanchorage to automatically hold the coupler in central position tocouple toa companion head mounted on a l coupled car, a draw bar portionhaving means at one end associated with the head portion to support .thehead portion,-the said portions being separately formed with sto-p meanson one portion cooperating with stop means on the other portionpreventing substantial longitudinal relative movement in bothdirections, an anchorage attached to the other end of the draw bar andlongitudinally movable spring held means associated with said por-tionsand cooperating with means associated with each of the said portions ltohold the portions against relative rotation under normal haulageconditions but permitting relative rotation of the said portions underrollover conditions of one car relative to another.

6. In a car coupling mechanism, in combination, a head portion to coupleto a. companion head, a draw bar portion having means at the one end tosupport the head portion, the said portions separately formed with meansonv one portion cooperating with means on the other portion tof preventlongitudinal relative moveportion to couple toa companion head, a drawment in a direction to separate the portions i with and rotatable withone of said portions and cooperating with means associated with theAsaid other portion -to hold the portionsy against rotation under normalhaulage conditions but yieldingly resisting relative rotation of saidportions under roll-over conditions of one oar relative to another, aspring yieldingly holding said latch,- ing means in operative relationwith the last said means and spring held means associated with the drawbar portion and cooperating with the anchorage to move the said portionslaterally when free to their central position from a lateral oiT-centerposition.

7. In a haulage system, in combination, a pair of cars movable alo-ng atrack and provided with cooperating coupler heads, one head mounted onits car in non-rotatable relation thereto, the other head provided witha separately formed draw bar to secure it to its car, the said draw barbeing non-rotatable relative to the car but rotatable relative to itsheadand means interposed between the draw bar and its head andcooperating with means on` the head and with means on the draw barwhereby the head is releasably held in position to automatically make acoupling with the cooperating head during normal haulage operations butwill not prevent one car to be rolled over relative to the other carabout their longitudinal axes while the heads are coupled to each otherand means yieldably holding the interposed means in cooperative relationWith said means on the draw bar.

ERNST A. LARSSON.

